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I have been working as a temp at times with the Qotw, filling in every once in a while for Evelyne. I really don't know how much to thank her for all of the hard work she has put in since she took over for Marcia Selsor. However, she has my most sincere thanks and appreciation for all of her efforts. I hope that I can do half as well.

Many times when I was doing the temp thing, I would feel like I was digging into a deep well of darkness trying to come up with an idea, but there was no light! So I am asking for help. I would like folks to participate in helping me see a little more light by submitting a question that you think would be a good one for Question of the week.We all have personal interests, and I realize as an educator with limited studio experience that I have different interests that others, and this probably influences the questions I ask. I usually look for questions that will stimulate some sort of conversation. I really like to know more about participants and find that the Qotw is a way to draw folks out. A large pool of questions from participants should help to overcome my personal inadequacies. This is not the only reason for these weekly queries, but it is something I have looked at. No question is too big or too small, if we have a pool to draw from, it will make things easier for me. I would reserve two rights, one that I will choose which question to post each week, and two that I am able to edit the question if need be without changing the intent. So please reply to this post to submit your own questions, and hopefully the first of these will appear next week.

best,

Pres

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You and I may have one idea about a piece of ceramic, while trust me, the oil painters in the gallery/art school/art faire may have another. (Personally, if it's non-utilitarian IMO it's art. But some utilitarian work is so artistic it crosses the line into Art as well. Also, it's a bit like defining God, I feel a bit full of myself just trying. Your opinion may differ.)

Is there a genre of ceramics that you hate?

Hopefully no one will get offended. You'll notice I didn't give an opinion.

Do you tend to end up using the same general color schemes in your glaze work intentionally or unintentionally? (I do. It's various whites over dark clays, usually with the speckles coming through.)

(I'm sure I can come up with a few more questions of the noobish sort, just can't think of them right now.)

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I always go for those humorous questions that forces potters to question what they are doing. Like when a potter says they do not have a favorite glaze color, and a question reveals they actually do. (everyone does).

:Like this one:

The power grid has gone down in your area and will not be back up for one year: so what alternative firing method will you choose?

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I have questions about resiliency, and getting back to work after various events that have either failed, or gone extremely well. How do you deal wth artistic setbacks, or get back to work after the high of an achievement? Please describe an instance of either.

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Have had this in the back of my mind for a few days, came up with something that makes me shake my head and smile. My parents.

Have had comments from them ranging from â€œpeople actually buy these?â€ to a remark on a speckled glaze, â€œoh, it looks like it has fleasâ€. Doesnâ€™t stop there, at a market my dad came into my tent (while customers there) and said â€œhas it been this slow all day?â€ Not to be outdone my mum once said, â€œif we pay your tuition how about going into accountingâ€.

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Have had this in the back of my mind for a few days, came up with something that makes me shake my head and smile. My parents.

Have had comments from them ranging from â€œpeople actually buy these?â€ to a remark on a speckled glaze, â€œoh, it looks like it has fleasâ€. Doesnâ€™t stop there, at a market my dad came into my tent (while customers there) and said â€œhas it been this slow all day?â€ Not to be outdone my mum once said, â€œif we pay your tuition how about going into accountingâ€.

Several years ago, Gail Sheehy wrote a book titled "Passages: Predictable Crises of Adult Life" (I just discovered another book by Gail, New Passages that is also available on Amazon). I believe that the veterans here on the forum have likely witnessed Patterns: Predictable Crises of the Clay Artist and I wonder what identifiable stages we can identify in our own journeys into clay/pottery/ceramics?...and what are the indicators of where we are (individually) along those paths?

Maybe we identify just one predictable crisis and then have the forum describe the symptoms and how they moved forward?

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what part of your production do you feel is the most creative outlet in the overall from start to finish. From the first design , to making, decorating ,trimming, bisque, more decorating, glaze, firing, presenting/selling/ marketing?